Auditing Your Website For The First Time
Quick Summary
- What this covers: auditing-your-website-for-the-first-time
- Who it's for: executives, CMOs, and business leaders evaluating SEO investment
- Key takeaway: Read the first section for the core framework, then use the specific tactics that match your situation.
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will guide you through the process of performing a basic website audit, focusing on SEO aspects.
Introduction
A website audit is essential to identify SEO and performance-related issues that can impact user experience and search engine rankings. The following process will help you diagnose possible issues on a website.
Recommended SEO Extensions
Install the following SEO extensions for your browser to assist in the website audit process:
- SEO Pro Extension
SEO Pro Extension
- Redirect Path
Redirect Path
- Lighthouse Mobile Test
Lighthouse Mobile Test
- Keywords Everywhere
Keywords Everywhere
Website Audit Process
Step 1: Visit the Website
Open the website you want to audit in your browser.
Step 2: Check Metadata with SEO Pro Extension
Click the SEO Pro Extension (maple leaf icon) and evaluate the following:
- Is metadata present or missing?
Is metadata present or missing?
- Is the canonical tag matching?
Is the canonical tag matching?
- Are Web Vitals good or bad?
Are Web Vitals good or bad?
- Is the language tag present?
Is the language tag present?
Step 3: Assess Website's Headings
Click the 'Headings' tab in the Detailed SEO Extension and assess:
- Are headings present?
Are headings present?
- Do they make sense structurally?
Do they make sense structurally?
- Are any heading levels duplicates, skipped, or out of order?
Are any heading levels duplicates, skipped, or out of order?
Step 4: Analyze Website's Status and Redirects
Click the 'Status' tab in the SEO Pro Extension OR use the Redirect Path extension:
- 404 code indicates the website is not online
404 code indicates the website is not online
- A single 301/302 redirect is fine
A single 301/302 redirect is fine
- Multiple redirects in a row should be addressed
Multiple redirects in a row should be addressed
Step 5: Examine Schema
Click the 'Schema' tab in the SEO Pro Extension:
- Is structured data present?
Is structured data present?
- If there's content, it's a positive sign
If there's content, it's a positive sign
- If no content is present, it's an issue
If no content is present, it's an issue
Step 6: Conduct Lighthouse Test
Open an incognito window (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + N), right-click anywhere on the page, and access Lighthouse via Inspect > Overflow Menu > Lighthouse:
- Run a Mobile Lighthouse Test
Run a Mobile Lighthouse Test
- Screenshot the results for reporting purposes
Screenshot the results for reporting purposes
Step 7: Analyze Performance with GTmetrix
Go to GTmetrix.com:
- Run a test on the website
Run a test on the website
- Compare the results against the Lighthouse Test
Compare the results against the Lighthouse Test
- Use the 'Waterfall' tab to pinpoint slow-loading files
Use the 'Waterfall' tab to pinpoint slow-loading files
- Screenshot the results for reporting purposes
Screenshot the results for reporting purposes
Step 8: Document Findings
Compile and organize the findings to create a comprehensive report of the website audit.
Step 9: Implement Suggestions and Monitor Results
Work with the client or web developer to implement the recommended changes and monitor the website's performance to measure the impact.
When SEO Isn't Your Priority
Defer SEO investment if:
- Your product-market fit isn't validated yet. SEO compounds over months. If you're still iterating on what you sell and who you sell it to, those months of SEO work will target the wrong audience. Nail the positioning first.
- You're in a winner-take-all paid acquisition market. Some verticals (insurance, legal, finance) have organic results pushed below the fold by ads. If your competitors all buy their traffic and organic results barely show, paid channels may be the pragmatic choice until you can invest in long-term organic.
- Your sales cycle is shorter than SEO's payback period. If you need revenue in 30 days, SEO won't deliver. Run paid campaigns for immediate pipeline, then layer SEO as a compounding channel once cash flow supports the timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I evaluate whether our SEO investment is working?
Track three metrics quarterly: organic traffic trend (is it growing?), organic revenue attribution (what revenue came from organic search?), and market share of search (what percentage of relevant searches do you appear in vs competitors?). Avoid vanity metrics like keyword count or domain authority — they correlate loosely with business outcomes. A good SEO program shows compounding organic revenue growth over 6-12 month windows.
How long does SEO take to show results?
Technical fixes (crawl errors, speed improvements) can impact rankings within 2-8 weeks. Content investments take 3-6 months to gain traction and 6-12 months to compound. Competitive keywords in established markets may take 12-18 months. The timeline depends on your starting position, competitive landscape, and investment level. Budget for 6 months before expecting material ROI.
Should we hire in-house or use an agency for SEO?
In-house makes sense when SEO is a core growth channel (>20% of revenue), you need daily execution speed, and you have enough work to justify a full-time hire ($80-150K+ fully loaded). Agency makes sense for strategic guidance, specialized audits, or when SEO volume doesn't justify headcount. Many companies benefit from a hybrid: in-house execution with agency-level strategy oversight.